Falmer March article in the Stevenage Boro programme tonight

[Stevenage Boro Stu]

Hi people, hope you are all well

As I mentioned after the march last week I wrote an article to include in the Stevenage Boro programme for tonights game against Canvey (don't mention the game itself - please) highlighting the problems that you guys are facing. I'm trying to insert it into this message but am not having much luck. Not sure if I have the correct authority to do so.

If anyone would like to read the article and is able to insert a couple of jpg images of the programme into the NSC then please let me know and I'll send them over to you to put on here.

Cheers
Stuart Govier (Stevenage Boro FC Programme Editor)

 

[The Large One]

Excellent stuff, Stu. Look forward to reading it once you have sorted your 'puter out. Can't you copy and paste the text from a Word file?

BTW while you're here, go to Hiney's fight thread. It's hilarious.

 

[Lord Bracknell]

Good work Stu and thanks for the appearance last Monday. I saw you, but failed to speak.

 

[Stevenage Boro Stu]

I could copy and paste the text but it looks so much better in colour I've also used some of the NSC photos.

If I could e mail the jpgs to someone who has the permission/ability to insert on here it would be better but if not then I'll paste the text on here tomorrow.

 

[Juan Albion]

I could copy and paste the text but it looks so much better in colour I've also used some of the NSC photos.

If I could e mail the jpgs to someone who has the permission/ability to insert on here it would be better but if not then I'll paste the text on here tomorrow.

I've pm'ed you. Email them to me at the address given and I can have the jpgs on in no time.

 

[Yorkie]

I could copy and paste the text but it looks so much better in colour I've also used some of the NSC photos.

Look forward to seeing that.

 

[Wardy]

Was good to see you guys there, thanks for coming and look forward to seeing the pics.

 

[fatboy]

Upload them to www.imageshack.us

 

[Stevenage Boro Stu]

Have sent them over to Juan - thanks Juan.

 

[sams dad]

Was good to see you on the march.Cant wait to see the article

 

[Kinky Gerbil]

 

[Juan Albion]

Sorry for the delay - I went to bed.

Stu, this how I received them. You may need to rescan them if you want us to read them. The layout looks nice though. If you scan them at a higher resolution, I can crop them as required.

 

[Stevenage Boro Stu]

Have copied text below - probably easier than re-scanning etc.



Brighton Protest March – Fans United

It was not too long ago when Stevenage Boro FC was in a precarious position. Our Chairman wanted out and a buyer could not be found. The club faced a serious time ahead and there was talk that it may fold altogether. This was no idle threat – things were serious. Happily a white knight arrived and despite difficult times balancing the books and progressing we now find ourselves in an enviable position off the pitch at least.

That was why it hit such a raw nerve when the ludicrous situation at Brighton & Hove Albion FC was explained to me by Boro season ticket holder Derek Etherton. Derek was born and brought up in Brighton and confesses to a fierce love of both clubs. The basic premise of the problem is that Brighton had a chairman who decided to sell their ground – The Goldstone Ground – to developers, who in turn built some shops on the site. Now this would have been ok if a new football ground was found first but profit being what it was and morals being of the low kind the club found themselves homeless and sharing with Gillingham. This was six years ago and although they have now returned to Brighton to play their home games it’s still in a wholly unacceptable place. They have to play their games in a soulless small athletics stadium, which has a capacity of just 6,500, less than Boro’s. And this for a club in the division just below the Premiership. For a place the size of Brighton and the potential fan base that they can attain that to most sane people would be plain madness.

A new Chairman, Dick Knight, was found. A Chairman who cared about the football club with a passion. A new home has been found in a place called Falmer just outside Brighton and the club would love to develop the land and move in as soon as possible but sadly they have hit a problem – a political problem. The move has to be approved by a certain John Prescott. The people of Falmer not surprisingly are opposed to the development of land near to them and the possible disruption it would cause and the ensuing argument has been raging for years now without a decision being made. The Brighton training ground is in Falmer and it makes sense to develop that and add the Football Ground to it. It’s right next door to the University and would attract many new fans to the club. The Government has commissioned several reports and inquiries to ascertain if it would be possible to develop the area and here lies the problem, the football club is responsible for the costs of these inquiries – to date they have shelled out £3,000,000 in costs. For a club with a capacity of just 6,500 they are just not able to afford this. A decision needs to be made and made quickly. That was why when the latest inquiry finished just a few months ago excitement was high amongst the Brighton footballing population. But no, John Prescott has decided that he wants to delay making the decision for a few more months while some more reports are made at the expense of the club. To many it seems he is just delaying things until a new government is formed next year – be it Labour or Conservative. They may then be cast as the big bad wolf when giving out the bad news and not him.

All this takes us back to last Monday and the Labour Party Conference where the fans of Brighton had organised a protest march to let the Labour Party know full well what they thought of their lack of co-operation. Fans from other clubs were encouraged to attend to push home the point that it was not just a decision which affected Brighton but more the whole world of football. It could after all be any number of towns or cities which faced this predicament. Derek and myself got to Brighton early and were greeted with a mixture of surprise and wonderment by hundreds of blue shirted fans. It did feel rather like going to a fancy dress party but being the odd ones out, the host rather cruelly telling us to wear the wrong colour. But we stood out, Stevenage Boro stood out and the appreciation of the Brighton faithful was all rather humbling. We were joined by other fans from across the country. Wrexham, Middlesbrough and Plymouth among them. The biggest cheer of the day from the Brighton fans went to the Crystal Palace supporter who turned up in his shirt. Think 1 Woking fan in amongst 8,000 Boro fans and you’ll get an idea of how admirable that was. Their fiercest rivals were helping them out. Football could only be the winner on the day. The protest march – my first and probably last – was held in a good natured and friendly if noisy manner. We were spotted by the police who even yelled out to us with a mixture of amusement and admiration to "keep on moving everyone – even you Stevenage Boro fans." Not quite believing that football fans with a different colour shirt could stand arm in arm with fellow fans. The reputation of football and the people who follow it not being too high amongst most policemen who have to face the less savoury aspects of it in and around football grounds most of the time. Why we almost felt like royalty with the amount of fans who came up and shook our hands and thanked us sincerely for taking the time and trouble to support their cause.

We marched right up to the Brighton Conference Centre and stayed outside for around half and hour. It was scheduled that an underling in the Government (not 2 Jags himself obviously) was to come out and address the fans and help to explain their side of things but sadly even that was beyond them and no-one showed. The other main speaker was to be Dick Knight the Brighton Chairman who spoke to the crowd and asked us politely to complete the return leg of the march. It was noted by many that Mr Prescott did make an appearance from the top floor of his hotel just next to the Conference centre speaking into his mobile phone. He took one look at the size of the crowd and returned indoors rather sharpish – hopefully he gauged the level of feeling that has been generated by this issue in the locality and beyond but sadly experience says that it will not hit home. The whole situation was compounded when on returning home and finding that Sky Sports News hadn’t bothered to cover the march in any real depth. They had concentrated rather on the news that Liverpool FC had just received Government approval for their new Ground and that Chelsea’s proposed new training ground had been given the go ahead. Now call me cynical but do they perhaps have more potential voters than little old Brighton? I and many others hope to be proved wrong. Time will, of course, as always, tell.

Stuart Govier

 

[Everest]

Well written and thank you.

PS. 7 years ago, not 6, but who's picking holes.

 

[Juan Albion]

Okay, thanks Stu. I've cropped the pictures now to save some space on the page.

It sounds as good as it looks. Thanks for a great job.

PS Stevenage is famous as the place where I first 'noticed' girls, so I have a soft spot for it. My grandparents took me to some sort of parade and afterwards asked me which float I liked the best. Without hesitation I said 'the one with the pretty dancing girls on it.' I was 4 at most at the time. Are Stevenage girls still so nice?

 

[Stevenage Boro Stu]

Have to admit I was a little shaky on the facts but hoped I had got it mostly right.
As for Stevenage girls can vouch that they are still very very pretty. Well my two daughters aged 18 and 16 are anyway. Take after their father.....ish

 

[sams dad]

Great report Stu.